Klein Pledges Progressive Agenda, Says IDC Welcome To New Members

Sen. Jeff Klein, the head of the Independent Democratic Conference, said today that the new coalition with Senate Republicans will be able to move a progressive agenda that otherwise might be stalled in Albany.

Issues like a minimum-wage increase, campaign-finance reform and tougher stop-and-frisk policies have not moved under either Republican and Democratic control of the Senate over the past four years, Klein said in an interview with Gannett’s Albany Bureau.

“The new coalition government, the IDC and the Republicans, are committed to seeing major pieces of progressive legislation pass the Senate chamber when we return to Albany in January,” Klein said. “Working with the governor and our colleagues, I know that we will be able to pass some major progressive reforms, such an increase in the minimum wage, our reform of stop-and-frisk and serious campaign-finance reform.”

Klein said “passing minimum wage is not only a moral necessity; it’s an economic necessity for our state’s economy.”

Klein, D-Bronx, who represents parts of lower Westchester County, dismissed critics who said the IDC handed the Senate majority to the Democrats. Issues that unions and Democrats care about would only get passed in a coalition government, he said.

“If they are really serious about a progressive agenda, this is the only way it’s going to happen,” he said.

And the IDC is open to new members. It already grew by one member today, adding former Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith, D-Queens.

“What we want are members interested in governing,” Klein said. “So if there are other Democrats that I’ve worked with in the past that I respect immensely that have a legislative agenda they want to accomplish, we’re all ears. We want to work with you.”

And Klein said he hasn’t discussed the new deal with Gov. Andrew Cuomo: “I have not spoken to the governor or anybody who works with the governor about forming a coalition government.”

But Klein said that the Democratic governor has shown an ability to succeed in a bi-partisan way.

“I believe Governor Cuomo has shown that he’s probably one of the most effective progressive elected officials of our time,” Klein said. “And he’s accomplished all these things by working in a bi-partisan way. That is precisely how this governing coalition will work.”